Blue Dog Dems face extinction

Two years after the 2010 midterm elections decimated their ranks, the coalition of conservative Democrats is poised to get pummeled again in November — moving the Blue Dogs dangerously close to extinction.

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Of the 24 remaining Blue Dogs, five are not seeking reelection. More than a half-dozen others are facing treacherous contests in which their reelection hopes are in jeopardy.

It’s a rough time to occupy the right wing of the Democratic Party.

“It’s a tough environment out there,” said former Alabama Rep. Bud Cramer, a longtime member of the House Blue Dog Coalition. “Their numbers are down. Redistricting has not been kind to them.”

Cramer nailed it: Redistricting is at the root of the Blue Dog problem. The once-in-a-decade line-drawing has forced some of them to compete for seats that have become even less friendly to Democrats — and those seats weren’t very friendly to begin with. Utah Rep. Jim Matheson, Georgia Rep. John Barrow and North Carolina Rep. Mike McIntyre are among those who have been thrust into deeply Republican territory after being targeted in GOP-led redistricting efforts in their home states.

All three members are regarded as strong and experienced campaigners who have figured out a way to survive on politically perilous turf. Still, 2012 will prove to be the toughest election any of them has faced. Each has drawn serious Republican opposition and they rank high atop GOP target lists. For months, the National Republican Congressional Committee has been airing TV and radio ads against the trio in an attempt to soften up their support well before the fall campaign season kicks into high gear.

Two other Blue Dogs — Pennsylvania Rep. Jason Altmire and Iowa Rep. Leonard Boswell — have been drawn into districts with another member of Congress, forcing them to wage bitter, expensive brawls against another sitting incumbent.

Altmire, a third-term Blue Dog, now faces Rep. Mark Critz in an April 24 primary. Many Democratic officials believe Altmire is the favorite, reasoning that he has previously represented more of the newly drawn southwestern Pennsylvania-based seat than the more junior Critz, and polls released by both campaigns have shown Altmire leading.

But Critz has fought back aggressively, collecting the endorsements of the area’s powerful organized labor groups and former President Bill Clinton, whose backing could help with the area’s blue-collar voters.

Boswell, meanwhile, is competing against GOP Rep. Tom Latham in a new southwestern Iowa-based district. While Boswell at first appeared to be the early front-runner, Democrats now worry about his slow fundraising pace compared with Latham’s ever-ballooning war chest. Latham has also received air support from American Crossroads, a deep-pocketed third-party group that has crowded the airwaves with TV ads taking aim at Boswell.